Page 68 of Hide Me Darling

***

With a pained groan, consciousness starts to slowly return. The burning sensation has dulled down, but fingers are moving over the skin of my arm. As my eyes part, I see the neon glow of Abel’s mask, but his attention is on my arm as he wraps something around it. I whimper and he glances at me, reaching a hand out to brush hair away from my face.

“What were you dreaming about?” he asks, his voice low and almost soothing despite the situation and the modulator.

I groan, shifting slightly. “That’s none of your business.”

As I finally look at what he is doing, I notice he’s wrapping my arm in something clear, like the kind of wrapping used for a fresh tattoo. But it’s certainly not a tattoo under the covering.

“You fucking branded me?” I snap, the realization hitting me like a cold shock as I stare at the two red and raw mask shapes burnt into my skin.

Abel doesn’t respond, simply finishes wrapping it before standing and moving to lean against the wall, his attention never leaving me. I wish I could see his expression, but even then I doubt I would see regret.

“Why?” I demand, my voice filled with anger and confusion. “Why did you do this?”

He doesn't flinch, his mask glowing softly in the dim light of the room. He watches me with a calm demeanor, seemingly unaffected by my anger.

“You're ours, and now everyone else will know it too,” he finally responds.

I growl, frustrated as I let my head fall back. But that means I can't see him, and I obviously can't trust what he will do if left unattended, which makes me wonder where Cain is. I push through the pain and sit up, breathing out a sigh when I lean back against my headboard.

“Seeing our mark on your skin just makes me want to fuck you again,” Abel says suddenly, his voice low.

I give him a droll look, my patience wearing thin. “My pussy can’t take much more of your obsession with it.”

He tilts his head slightly, as if considering how to respond. “Your pussy isn’t the part of you that I’m obsessed with,” he says finally, his tone serious.

I roll my eyes, frustrated. “Would you have done this to any woman who came to investigate these murders?”

“No,” he answers without hesitation. “But no one else was going to come looking.”

“Anyone could have seen that blog and looked into it,” I argue.

“Could they?” Abel counters cryptically, a subtle change in his tone catching my attention.

“You’re speaking in riddles,” I snap, annoyance sharpening my tone.

“The person who needed to see the blog saw it first,” he says with a shrug, looking away for a moment.

“Why me?” I press, frustration building. His gaze returns to me, his head tilting again.

“You’ll know why soon enough.”

My frustration finally snaps. “If you knew who was murdering tourists, why haven’t you taken them out?” I demand, my voice tinged with anger. “People have died since you started trying to get my attention.”

Abel remains silent for a moment, his mask betraying nothing. When he finally speaks, his voice is measured and deliberate. “It’s not that simple,” he begins. “What’s that saying? The reason you fall for the villain over the hero of a story is because the hero will choose the world over their lover but the villain will burn it down for insulting his queen… We aren’t good men, don’t mistake us for good men. We would burn it all down for you.”

I feel like my heart stops beating in my chest, but he doesn’t even give me a chance to respond before he quietly walks out of the room, leaving me to my own thoughts and a restless night ahead.

Chapter 34

Hydessa

Abel had been considerate enough to leave painkillers on the bedside table, but sleep was still limited. I honestly hoped it was them drugging me just to escape from my thoughts. But no, the one time I actually want that they seem to disappear.

I find I’m having to drag myself from the bed the next morning when it gets closer to when I said I would meet Beth for coffee. The brand is still red and raw, my arm aching as I try my best to shower and wash my hair while not getting it wet. It doesn’t help that I swung a bat for the first time in my life probably a hundred times.

Why can’t these assholes consider these things when they decide to RANDOMLY FUCKING BRAND ME??

---